Thanks For Giving
by DorothyMichaels
Summary: Brian's life as a puppy before he moved in with the Griffins, and his reunion with his former owners. Please review!
1. Chapter 1

_My first Family Guy fic! I actually didn't write any fanfiction in a few years. I used to write stuff about The Beatles._  
_I love reading Family Guy stories, and there is a story in my head that I wanted to read, but couldn't find anybody who wrote it. So, I decided to write it myself._

_I do not own Family Guy_

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Chapter 1:

It was a few days before Thanksgiving. The Griffins sat down in front of the TV and watched a rerun of Brian's appearance on _Real Time With Bill Maher_. It was difficult and humiliating for Brian to watch due to his behavior, but he felt that it was something he had to do.

The phone rang during the commercials and Lois answered it.

"Hello? Oh yes, he's here." Lois removed the phone from her mouth, "Brian, it's for you" she called from the kitchen.

"Who is it?" Brian asked as he was getting off from the couch and heading towards the kitchen. "I don't know," Lois replied. "It's a woman."

Brian took the phone from her. Lois headed back to the living room.

"Hello? Yes… Oh! Hi…" The family couldn't hear the other half of the conversation, but then again, they weren't very interested. "Hmm… Yes, I am watching that too. How did you get my phone number? Oh. Yes… Well… I don't think it's such a good idea. No! No! That's not it at all! I'm just very… busy. I… I can't believe you called. It's been so long. Yes, I missed you too. Hmm, maybe. Listen, I gotta go, but I will call you! I promise!" And at that, Brian hanged up the phone before the woman got a chance to say anything else. He headed back to the sofa and nonchalantly set down next to Peter.

"Who was that?" Peter asked. "An Ex or somethin'?"

"Actually it was… It was…" Brian looked uncomfortable. "You could say that she was my mother."

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_What do you think? please review! :-)_


	2. Chapter 2

_I do not own Family Guy_

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Chapter 2

_Eight years earlier_

Brian was just a few weeks old. He lived happily with his mother and siblings at a farm in Texas.

A car parked next to the house where Luke, the farm owner, lived. A man and a woman came out of it and knocked on the door.

"Hello! Please come inside!" Luke said after he opened the door and saw the two people. The three of them sat at the sofa next to the kitchen, a plate of cookies on the coffee table.

"So, what brings you here?" Luke asked.

The woman was the one to answer. "My husband and I want to get a dog for our family, we live in Houston."

"Did you ever raise a dog or another pet before?"

"Well, no. we have given it a lot of thought. We decided it might be a nice addition to our family."

"Tell me about your family." Luke requested.

"There are us and our two children", answered the husband. "A 7 year old girl and a 4 year old boy. They both wanted a dog for a long time, and after quit many discussions and research, we decided our family was ready."

"Would you like to look at our dogs?" Luke offered.

The three of them headed for the dog farm. They passed the different cages which held dogs of the same breed: white Labradors. They stopped next to one of the cages.

"This is Biscuit." Luke pointed at the mature dog that was inside the cage which was surrounded by a number of hyper puppies. "She's a beautiful and calm dog. This was her first whelping, and her puppies are the perfect age for adoption."

"She is beautiful," the woman agreed. "Can we pet some of the puppies?"

"Of course!" Luke took out a puppy and gave it to the woman, then gave another one to the man.

Brian watched as two of his siblings were petted by the strangers. He got closer to the edge of the cage. "What's this all about?" Brian asked Luke.  
"This lovely couple wants to adopt a dog," Luke smiled at Brian.

Brian observed the people in silence. The woman looked up and locked eyes with Brian. She smiled. Brian couldn't help but smile back.

The woman put back in the cage the dog she had been petting, and made a movement for Brian. The puppy, a little frightened, took a step back.

"Here, let me get him for you." Said Luke, reaching for Brian. "This is Brian" He told the woman, giving her the white puppy.

Brian was petted by the woman and put back next to his mother. The couple continued to pet the different puppies, putting them back and taking out new ones every couple minutes.

After a while, the three people headed back to the house to talk about the price and the short adoption process.

"And which puppy do you want to take home?" Luke asked.

"What about the talking one?" The man said.

"Brian? If you're up to it, then sure. But raising a talking dog is very different than raising a regular one."

"I think we can handle it." The woman said with a smile, she opened her purse and took out a pack of wet wipes. She pulled one out and started cleaning her hands. "It will be easier to understand what he wants, won't it?"

Luke hesitated a bit before answering. "You have to understand, that raising a dog is not easy, no matter if it can speak or not."

"We are aware of that." The woman answered.

"Very well then, I'll go get him."


	3. Chapter 3

_I do not own Family Guy_

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Chapter 3

"Your mother?!" Peter asked.

"Your mother is dead, Brian." Stewie said. "We buried her together, didn't we?"

"Not really my mother." Brian said sadly. "She was _like_ a mother to me, though. She was the one who raised me. She… well, was my first family." He felt a little guilty, he didn't want the Griffin's to know about it for some reason.

The family looked quit shocked and excited. Brian rarely talked about his early days. They realized it was a tender situation, and chose their words carefully so they could get as much information from Brian about this so-called "mother" of his.

The commercials ended and _Real Time With Bill Maher_ was back. Lois quickly reached for the remote and turned down the volume.

"Why did she call?" Lois asked.

"She wanted me to come over for Thanksgiving this year." Brian answered simply.

"Well, are you going to go?" Peter asked.

"Of course not!"

"Why not?"

Brian didn't quit know how to answer this question. "It's a family holiday, you are my family now. I want to spend it with you."

"You just said that this woman was like a mother to you. Don't you want to see her again and catch up on things? I think you should go." Lois said.

"I really don't think it's such a good idea." Brian murmured. "I'm going to sleep." He quickly got off the sofa and climbed up the stairs.

"Aren't you gonna call her back?" Peter called after him.

"What are you talking about?"

"You said you were gonna call her back, I heard you." Peter said.

Brian ignored him and continued to walk up the stairs. The last thing he wanted was to talk to that lady. He just wanted to forget about the brief conversation they had today.

As soon as Brian left her eye-sight, Lois picked up the phone and dialed *69.


	4. Chapter 4

_I do not own Family Guy_

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Chapter 4

Brian headed towards his mother who was breastfeeding her puppies. "Hey, how's the flow today?" He asked his siblings.

Before he got a chance to drink a little, a hand grabbed him and took him out of the cage. He was taken away from his mother.

"Hey! Hey!" He cried. "Mom! Do something!" But she didn't even look up. "Mom! Help! Mom!" Brian continued yelling. Before he realized it, he was out of the dog farm for good.

"Relax, Brian" Luke told him. The two strangers who Brian saw earlier were standing nearby. "You are being adopted! Isn't that wonderful?"

Brian didn't share Luke's perspective. Why is that wonderful? He already has a mother, doesn't he?

"Hi Brian" The woman said. "Don't worry, you will be very happy with us, I promise."

"I don't need to be adopted by anyone" he said. "My mother can take care of me."

The three adults didn't say anything. The woman just took Brian from Luke's arms and held him tightly.

"They can take care of you just as well" Luke finally said.

"Why don't you give us a chance?" the man asked. "And we could come back and visit your mother as many times as you want."

Brian just nodded, tears forming in his eyes. Luke reached over and patted his head. "Good luck Brian. I will miss you."

"I will miss you, too" Brian choked. His new owners started heading to the car, the woman still holding Brian tightly in her arms.

The man opened the back door, and the woman reached over and gently placed Brian on a seat that was covered with an old blanket. Once seated in the passenger seat, the woman took out one of her wet wipes. The man turned his body to look at Brian. "Are you ready?" he smiled.


	5. Chapter 5

_If you are following this story, please write a comment and let me know! I would love to know if someone reads it. _

_What do you think of the overall idea? The story will actually follow two different plot lines: Brian's life as a puppy is one plot line, and the other is the reunion with his former owners, 6 years after he last saw them._

_I do not own Family Guy_

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Chapter 5

"Hello? Brian?"

"No…" Lois answered slowly. She didn't plan on what she was going to say to this lady. "My name is Lois."

"Oh… are you… Brian's new… family?"

Not quit new anymore. When was the last time Brian talked to his former owners?

"Yes, we are the Griffins. Brian told us you invited him for Thanksgiving."

"Yes, we did." The woman said. "Does he want to come? We all miss him very much. We haven't heard from him for so long, we thought he was dead. Does he ever talk about us?"

He never even mentioned them. Lois wanted to ask for the lady's name, but didn't want her to know that Brian failed to mention even that small but important detail.

The woman understood from Lois's silence that Brian never talked about her. "My name is Rachel, by the way" she said quietly, as though she could read Lois's mind. "How is he? The last time we saw him he left for Brown. He never contacted us since, and we didn't know how to contact him. He never answered our E-mails. And… well, we figured it was because he was busy with college. It was difficult for us to find him because we didn't know what last name he gave to himself."

"How did you get this phone number?" Lois asked.

"We were watching _Real Time With Bill Maher_. We couldn't believe it! At first we weren't sure if it was the same dog. Anyway, we finally knew what was his last name and were able to look him up" Rachel said happily. "We have so much catching up to do. Can I please talk to him?"

Lois knew that Brian didn't want to talk to this woman right now. "He is sleeping" she said, and before she could stop herself, she added: "Do you want to join us for Thanksgiving this year?"

"Really?" Rachel cried happily. "Wow! If it's not too much hassle, we would love to!" Lois could hear her calling out to the rest of her family "We are going to see Brian this Thanksgiving!"

Lois suddenly felt a pinch in her stomach. _Who am I to invite over this family? It should be Brian's choice._ Another pinch attacked Lois's stomach when she realized that maybe the reason Brian didn't want to see his old family was because he was being abused by them.

_What have I done?_ Lois thought desperately. _Did I just invite a bunch of people who caused Brian nothing but misery?_

"Okay then" Lois said. "I'll talk to you later." She hanged up the phone.

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_Please comment! _


	6. Chapter 6

_I do not own Family Guy_

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Chapter 6

Brian was looking out the car window, thinking of his mother. How could she abandon him like that? How could she let these strangers take him away?

He pulled out the seat belt and tied himself in. The woman who was seating in front of him turned her head back. "What are you doing?"

"I'm putting my seat belt on" Brian answered.

"Oh" the woman raised her eyebrows. She turned back to face the road.

"Brian," the man said. "We didn't introduce ourselves. My name is Rob, and this is my wife, Rachel."

Brian was silent, so Rob continued. "We live in Houston. It's about a two hour drive from Austin. I think you will enjoy our house, and we have a big yard for you to run around in."

Brian didn't say anything. Rachel glanced backwards, looking at Brian's still sad face. "You'll get to meet our children" she said.

The dog looked back at her. If they already have children, what do they need him for?

Rachel took out a bone shaped cookie and handed it over to Brian. "Do you want a treat, boy?" she asked warmly. The white puppy took the treat from her and started nibbling on it. Rachel smiled, and Brian smiled back.

"I know it must be tough" she said, "but I promise, you'll be very happy with us. We'll take good care of you, do you believe me?"

Brian nodded. "I do", he said. Rachel reached over and scratched behind his ear.

They kept driving in silence for a while. Rob was concentrating on the road, Rachel was using one of her wet wipes, and Brian continued chewing his treat.

After Brian finished the cookie, he realized he was thirsty. "Can… can I have some water, please?" he asked softly.

"We'll stop at a diner in a short while, and we could all get some lunch. Is that alright?" Rachel said.

About five minutes later, the car pulled over at a pit stop. Rob opened Brian's door for him, and Rachel headed towards the trunk and took out a medium sized beach bag.

They settled at a booth in the food court. Rob left to get some food from a Chinese food stand, and Rachel stayed at the table with Brian. She opened the beach bag she brought with her, and took out two bowls and a plastic bag filled with dog food. She poured the content of the plastic bag into one of the bowls, and put it in front of Brian. "I'll go get you some water as soon as Rob comes back", she said.

Rob arrived holding two trays which he placed on their table. Rachel took the empty bowl and headed towards the restroom.

Rob sat in front of Brian and dragged one of the trays towards him. He started eating his noodles, looking at Brian.

"Aren't you gonna eat?" he asked. Brian reached over and ate the food from his bowl. He looked up and noticed the two sticks Rob was using to eat his noodles.

"What do you need that for?" the dog asked curiously, pointing at the sticks.

"These are chopsticks, they are replacements for forks."

Brian wanted to ask what forks are, but decided to let it go. Rachel came back, the bowl at her hands filled with water. She placed it in front of Brian, who immediately lowered his head and started drinking using his tongue, spraying water all over the table.

When the three of them finished lunch, they headed back towards the car and got inside. Rachel had to open Brian's door for him since he was too small to do so himself. She helped him put his seatbelt on, and patted him on the head.

Rachel was the one to drive this time. She sat at the driver's seat, took one of her wet wipes, and put it aside once she was finished with it. She put on the seatbelt and drove towards the highway.

"Say, Brian", Rob suddenly said. "How did you learn how to speak?"

Brian hesitated. "Well, Luke always talked to us when he came by, I just answered him back. I wasn't the only one, though."

"There were other talking dogs back at the farm?"

"Not anymore. My cousin Jasper was adopted not long ago by a man from California."

The car kept on driving down the highway for a while. Eventually, Brian noticed the signs indicating that Houston is getting near. It wasn't long until the car parked next to a suburban house.

"Welcome to your new home!" Rob smiled as he was helping Brian out of the car. The dog looked up at the two story house. It had light colored walls and the roof tiles were a darker shade. Brian's stomach was tied up in a knot. He started walking towards the house on all fours.

The door suddenly opened, and at the foot of it stood a small kid. His face beamed at the sight of Brian.

"Doggy!" the kid ran towards the puppy. Brian stopped walking and sat down, letting the kid stroke his fur.

"His name is Brian" Rachel said. "Brian, this is Neil."

"Hi Brian" Neil held him up and took him to the house. He gently placed his new puppy on a blanket that was already on the living room floor.

Brian looked up at his new brother, shaking his tail and smiling.


	7. Chapter 7

_please, whoever follows this story- write a comment saying you read it! I just want to know if people read this, that's all. :)_

_I do not own Family Guy_

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Chapter 7

_Okay, I'll just ask him,_ Lois thought as she was climbing up the stairs. _If they did abuse him or caused him any kind of stress or misery, I'll just call Rachel back and cancel the invitation._

Lois opened her bedroom door, looking at the dog that was curled up at the end of the bed. She sat down next to him and tapped his back. "Brian, are you awake?"

"Hmm…?" Brian let out a sound. He looked up at Lois and sat up. "Did you want something?"

"Actually, I wanted to ask you about Rachel", Lois said quietly. Brian's eyes widened at the sound of the name, he looked very uncomfortable. "How did she treat you?" Lois asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean…" Lois hesitated. "Did they… cause you any trouble?"

"Not at all! Actually, one could say that they were the perfect owners." He said bitterly.

"So what's the problem?"

"Problem?" Brian looked at her as if she was crazy. "There is no problem."

"Come on, Brian", Lois said disapprovingly. "Why don't you want to join them for thanksgiving? Why didn't you contact them since you left for college?"

"Wait a minute…" Brian narrowed his eyes. "How do you know that? And now that I think of it, I never told you Rachel's name, now, did I?"

"I… well, I called her back." Lois confessed. Brian frowned at her. "I'm sorry, Brian. I care about you, and I was also curious. Whatever happened with this family, don't you want to make things right with them?"

"Nothing was wrong in the first place, they gave me a very happy childhood. It's just that..." Brian looked at his feet. "They didn't _mean_ to give me a childhood", he said quietly.


	8. Chapter 8

_I think I'm updating a little quickly. The chapters are short so it's fine though. If you read thus far, I guess you noticed that the chapters go back and forth from the two different plot lines. I decided to do it this way so Brian's behaviour will be cleared up as the story progresses, and not all at once. Anyway, going back to Brian's puppyhood (is that a word?), hope you enjoy this chapter!_

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Chapter 8

Rachel sat next to her son on the blanket, who was still petting his new puppy. "I have something for you, Brian", she said. He looked up, and noticed the collar the woman was holding. She got closer and put it around his neck.

"Is that the new dog?" a girl's voice was heard from the hallway. A second later, the owner of the voice appeared at the living room entrance. "I want to pet him too!" She ran towards Brian and joined her mom and brother.

"Oh! He's so cute!" she squealed, reaching over and grabbing the puppy, holding him close.

"Remember, kids", Rachel said. "It's not just a toy, a dog is a living creature. Don't forget what we talked about."

"Yes, mom, we know" the girl rolled her eyes, clearly tired of the conversation they already had more than once. "What's his name?"

"Brian!" the puppy answered before anybody else got a chance to. He felt a little offended that they were talking about him as if he wasn't there.

"He can talk!" The girl called happily. "Hi Brian, my name is Jessica", she told him sweetly.

The kids headed outside, taking Brian with them. They got a little ball and threw it in turn across the yard, letting Brian fetch it. When they realized the puppy wasn't willing to give the ball back once he got it, they decided to play a different game in which Jessica rolled the ball on the grass, and Brian and Neil raced each other in order to be the one who'll catch it.

A few hours passed, and the day was getting dark. Rachel came out of the house and said that dinner was ready.

The kids sat down at the table, and Brian settled himself under Neil's chair. The kid handed down to him the vegetables he didn't want. Rachel noticed that, "don't do that, Neil", she said.

After the kids got settled in their beds, Rachel and Rob sat in front of the television to watch the 9 o'clock news. Brian was curled up on his blanket, looking at the screen. He never got to watch television before, he did see it in Luke's home, but it was never on. The woman on the screen was talking about different things that were going on in the USA. Mostly bad things, really.

When the news was over, Rachel and Rob headed upstairs themselves, wishing Brian good night as they left. Brian could hear them handle all sorts of things. The shower was turned on and off, the washing machine as well. After a while their bedroom door was shut and they went off to sleep.

Brian was left alone on his blanket. The room was dark and quiet. This was the first time he had to sleep without his mother by his side. He felt so alone, so cold with nobody curled up next to him. He got up and headed upstairs, getting inside an open bedroom door. It was Neil's bedroom.

Brian quietly climbed into the kid's bed and settled his body against Neil's chest. Neil opened his eyes sleepily and smiled when we noticed Brian. He shoved his head into the puppy's fur and drifted off to sleep again, his warm breath causing Brian to fall asleep as well. The dog was happy.

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_Comments are always welcome!_


	9. Chapter 9

_I do not own Family Guy_

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Chapter 9

"What do you mean, they didn't _mean _to give you a childhood?" Lois repeated.

"I mean…" Brian hesitated. "This is stupid, really Lois. It's not a big deal." Lois raised her eyebrows. "It really isn't", Brian tried to convince her.

"Just tell me, even if it's stupid. Please."

"I… I… You see, Lois, I was very young when they brought me to their home. Just a few weeks old. They had kids, and those kids were like siblings to me. I grew up there, and I didn't know a lot about how the world is conducted. The love I had for my family wasn't the kind they had for me."

"What kind of love was that?" Lois asked.

Brian chuckled a little. "I already told you, didn't I? I said Rachel was my mother."

"Oh…" Lois whispered.

"I really don't mind how people see me anymore," Brian continued, "but I was so young, I didn't understand. I tried everything, but to them I was just a pet."

"What did you try?"

"Acting like them… I couldn't understand why Rachel and Rob treated me differently from their own kids. When they took me to their home, I figured they intended to be a replacement for my mother."

"Oh, Brian, I'm sorry…" Lois hugged him.

"It's no big deal, Lois." Brian smiled. "It's over. Back then it wasn't fun, but now it really doesn't matter anymore. Can I… just go back to sleep now?"

Lois looked at him with a sad smile. "Sure", she scratched his ear and left the room.


	10. Chapter 10

_I don't know when I'll be able to update after this chapter. On Tuesday I am starting the military boot camp, and after it's over: well, just the regular part of the service which will be better. Since I graduated from high school I didn't do anything, and now I'm getting busy. I'll try to update as much as I can! I want to write this story as much as you want to read it. _

_I do not own Family Guy_

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Rachel got inside Neil's room in order to wake him up. She got closer to his bed, and noticed the white dog curled next to her son. Brian opened his eyes and looked up at her.

"Oh, Hi Brian." Rachel whispered. "What are you doing here?"

"I couldn't sleep down there by myself."

"All right then", she started stroking Neil's head. "Come on, sweetie, time to wake up."

Rachel dressed her son and the two of them headed downstairs for breakfast, with Brian walking after them.

Rob and Jessica were in the kitchen. Rob was making omelets and Jessica was just finishing her cereal. "Okay, I'm going!" she said, putting her little backpack over her shoulders.

"Where are you going?" Brian asked her.

"To school, silly!" She laughed, shuffling the fur on his head. "It's where I learn."

_There is a place for learning?_ Brian thought to himself.

Neil and Rachel ate their omelets. Rob was organizing Neil's backpack.

"We're going too," Rachel said after they finished their breakfast. "I'm taking Neil to his day care" she told Brian. "And then I'm going to work."

Rachel and Neil left. Brian was left with Rob at the kitchen. The puppy was hungry, he should ask Rob to feed him…

"Do you want an omelet?" Rob asked.

"Sure!" Brian jumped on one of the chairs, and held the silverware that was on the table, just like he saw the others do. Rob served him an omelet, he himself sat at a chair in front of Brian with an omelet of his own.

Rob started cutting his omelet with the little knife he had, and Brian copied him. Rob then pinned the peace he cut with the other tool he had, and brought is to his mouth. Brian copied that, too.

Rob noticed that Brian was looking at him. "What are you doing?" He asked.

"Eating."

"Have you ever used silverware before?" Rob asked. Brian didn't answer.

"Here, let me show you", he got up from his chair and approached Brian, showing him how to hold his fork and knife correctly. "There you go!" he said.

"I've taken a day off today, so you and I can go to the vet", Rob told Brian once he was back in his seat. "Just get you everything you need: your shots, your pills."

"Okay, no problem."

They left the house and drove to the vet. Once their turn arrived, they got inside one of the rooms and Brian sat on the examination table in front of the doctor.

"Alright then, do you have his vaccination records?" the doctor asked Rob.

"No, he didn't get any shots yet." Rob answered.

"Do you want to register him at this clinic? I'll open a vaccination record for him and we could start giving him the vaccines he needs. Do you know exactly when he was born?"

"The third of May."

Rob and the doctor talked about the different shots Brian needs to get, and about the future vaccines. The doctor then gave him a few shots, and that was it.

"Do you plan on having him neutered?" the doctor finally asked.

"I…" Rob glanced down at Brian, who was seating calmly at the table. "I don't think it's such a good idea. He's one of them anthropomorphic dogs, you see…"

"Oh, really?' the doctor raised his eyebrows. "I didn't know. Hey Brian, how are you feeling? The shots didn't hurt, did they?"

"I'm feeling fine, and no, they didn't hurt." Brian answered.

"Okay, good. I'll see you in a couple of weeks."

Rob and Brian left the veterinarian's clinic and drove back home. Brian was seating on a blanket in the front seat, he glanced sideways at Rob. "What was that the doctor asked you? When you said it wasn't a good idea?" Brian asked.

"The neutered thing? Don't worry about that, if you'll behave there is no need for it." Rob answered. It wasn't quit the answer Brian was expecting. There will be no need for what, exactly?

Once they got back home, Rob headed towards the living room, followed by Brian. "Do you want to watch some Television?" Rob turned the TV on PBS, _The Electric Company_ was on.

"If you want to change the channel, just press one of those buttons on the remote…" Rob handed Brian the remote and showed him.

A segment about spelling started on the show. Rob looked at the screen and then at Brian. "Say, do you know how to read?"

"No."

"Maybe we'll teach you someday, when you're a little older." And at that, Rob left the living room and left Brian with his TV show.

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_Yes... This was a very plain chapter. I hope I'll get a chance to write a better chapter before I leave on Tuesday._


	11. Chapter 11

_Horay! I am so proud of me for writing another chapter before the boot camp, but now I want to write a few more. There is a limit to what I can do, though, so this will be enough for now. I'll try, but I can't promise anything. I'm avoiding big cliff hangers for your sake and my sake. So... enjoy the new chapter!_

_I do not own Family Guy_

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**Chapter 11**

Thanksgiving was just a few days away. Rachel and Rob already got the tickets to Providence. Lois was talking to Rachel secretly over the phone, synchronizing times and plans. Lois wanted to tell Brian that his former owners were coming for Thanksgiving, but didn't know how to break is to him. Every time she saw him she wanted to tell him, but made up an excuse for herself, saying it wasn't a good time.

Lois knew she had to tell Brian eventually, hopefully _before _Thanksgiving. It will be too much of a shock if Rachel and Rob just arrived without Brian getting the warning he deserved.

She was afraid of his reaction, and she also felt very guilty. The second time Lois talked to Rachel, she was planning on canceling the invitation, but Rachel was so excited and Lois didn't have the heart to let her down. When Rachel got the tickets, Lois knew the plan was now unchangeable.

It was a Tuesday afternoon. Brian was sitting in front of the TV, a bong in his hand. Lois glanced at him over from the kitchen. _Okay, he's high. If you want to tell him, you will not get a better chance than this. Just get it over with._

Lois walked over to the sofa and sat next to Brian. "So… How's it going, Brian? Let me have a toke, won't you?" She asked.

Brian looked at her suspiciously for a second, but handed her the bong and the lighter nevertheless.

Lois inhaled once, and handed the bong back to Brian.

"I thought you were against this stuff." He said.

"Well… You know. When the kids aren't here it's fine…" Lois answered. "Listen, Brian. There is something I've been meaning to tell you… It's about Thanksgiving."

Brian didn't say anything, he just looked at her, waiting for her to continue.

"I… Invited Rachel and Rob." Lois said quickly, looking sideways, avoiding eye contact with Brian.

The dog got stiff, his eyes widened a bit, and it seems as though he was holding his breath. Lois glanced a little to get a glimpse of his reaction, holding her breath as well.

Then Brian relaxed. He turned his attention back to his bong, and had a few smokes. He then lay back on the sofa and said "Okay."

"What… What do you mean, _okay_?" Lois called. "I… I thought you'd be-"

"What?" Brian interrupted her. "I'm okay, really. It's fine. I'll just have Thanksgiving somewhere else."

Now it was Lois's turn to stiffen up. She felt as though she's been punched in the stomach. "Wh… What?" She asked quietly, her head getting dizzy. Over the last few days, she ran over her head the different scenarios that could occur once she told Brian the news, but this one never crossed her mind.

"Well, I don't think you'll mind." Brian said calmly. "It's obvious you want to meet them, who am I to interfere? We can have Thanksgiving together next year."

"But… but... I invited them for you." Lois said desperately.

"No, you invited them for _you_. If you wanted to do something for me, not inviting them would have been just fine." Bitterness was now added to Brian's voice.

_Why isn't he yelling? Anything would have been better than this guilt trip. _Lois thought to herself, not saying anything.

When Brian noticed that Lois was not planning on saying anything else, he asked quietly: "When are they coming?"

"On Thursday morning."

"Alright." Brian hesitated for a minute. "I'll leave tomorrow, then."

"Brian, please." Lois breathed.

"Don't think too much into it, Lois, they are wonderful people, you'll have a great time."

"Where will you go? We are your family." Lois asked.

"Jasper, I guess…" Brian said. He got off the sofa and started heading upstairs. "I better order a ticket."


	12. Chapter 12

_Who saw the Christmas episode of Family Guy! It was so good, wasn't it? It was funny and great. The best part was the end of course. I was so happy!_

_The first week of the army passed by. Tomorrow I'm going back, and I'll write another chapter next weekend. Hope you enjoy this new chapter!_

_I do not own Family Guy_

* * *

**Chapter 12**

A few weeks passed since Brian left his birthplace in Austen. He got accustomed to his new life, and it was a pretty good one as well. Every night, Brian was sleeping on Neil's bed. After a few nights Jessica found out about it, and asked Brian if he could sleep on her bed as well. Just like that, Brian had two beds he could call his own, which was more than enough considering how small he was.

During the weekdays, Brian stayed at home, usually alone, and watched television or played outside in the yard. He couldn't walk around the neighborhood by himself, but he did get his walks every night with Rachel or Rob. On the weekends, the whole family went on a little trip to visit a national park, a beach or a lake, and sometimes just walk around the street of Houston together. They were a family that liked to be outside.

It was a Sunday in June, and the family just headed home after a day at the beach. Rachel was driving and Rob was sitting at the passenger's seat. At the back bench, Brian was sitting in the middle on a towel, and the kids were sitting on boosters, each next to a different window.

"That was fun, huh?" Rob asked the kids.

Neil called out in agreement, and Jessica just nodded and smiled.

"Where should we go next week?" Rob wondered.

"How about we go to Austen?" Brian asked.

"What's in Austen?" Jessica asked curiously.

"My mom!" Brian said happily and turned his attention to Rachel. "You said we would visit her all the time, right?"

"Yes… We'll see about that."

* * *

The next week passed by very quickly for Brian. Before he knew it, Friday arrived. He went to sleep in Neil's bed, finding it hard to fall asleep because of his excitement.

On Saturday morning, Brian woke up and realized he was alone on Neil's bed. He headed downstairs and into the kitchen to get some breakfast.

In the hall just outside the kitchen, Brian could hear Rachel and Neil having a conversation about him. He stopped walking and listened.

"I think it's stupid."

"It's not stupid, Neil. You can't let Brian sleep on your bed for the next couple days. The same goes for you, Jessica."

"But why?" Neil asked.

"I already told you, he has flees. Once they're gone he can sleep on your beds again. We'll take him to the vet today." Rachel explained.

_The vet?_ Brian though. _Aren't we supposed to go to Austen today?_

Suddenly he wasn't hungry anymore. He turned around and got away from the kitchen, only to find that Rob just entered the living room.

"Hey Brian, why don't you come and have breakfast with us?" Rob asked him.

"Sure…" Brian turned around once more and headed back to the kitchen.

"Good morning, Brian." Rachel smiled down to her dog. She put down a plate on the table with breakfast for him. He jumped on the chair and started eating.

"Are we going to Austen today?" Brian asked, even though he already knew the answer.

"Austen?" Rachel asked, surprised. "How come?"

"Don't you remember?" Brian asked sadly. "We talked about it last week."

"Oh… Yes, of course I remember" Rachel answered uncomfortably. "I'm sorry, Brian. We can't go today, we have to take you to the vet to get rid of those flees."

"Alright, then. Maybe next week." Brian said, disappointed, and continued to eat his breakfast silently.


	13. Chapter 13

_Another week of the Military passed. Only three more weeks left for the boot camp! (And then a two year military service, but the boot camp is really the hard part.)_

_Sorry for the short chapter._

_I do not own Family Guy._

* * *

**Chapter 13**

"Hey Brian, what's up?" Stewie asked Brian when he noticed the dog was sitting in his room. A laptop was open on Stewie's little table, and Brian was using it.

"Nothing!" Brian said nervously when he noticed Stewie, closing the laptop. Stewie ran over to his side, pushed the dog out of the way and opened the computer again. The screen showed an airline web page.

"Oh, I thought you were watching porn…" Stewie said. "Where are you going?"

Brian didn't answer him, he just closed the laptop again, picked it up and started leaving the room.

"Hey! Whoa!" Stewie blocked Brian's way. "Where are you going?" He asked again.

"Downstairs."

"That's not what I meant, you douchebag. Where are you flying?"

Brian sighed. "California, okay?"

"Why?" Stewie asked.

"For Thanksgiving. I'm going to visit Jasper and Ricardo." Brian answered simply.

"Hmm… Why?" Stewie asked again.

"Look, Stewie. I just can't stay here. Lois… She…" Brian looked down at his feet.

"She can be a real pain in the ass, yes." Stewie agreed.

"No, it's not that. She invited my former owners for Thanksgiving." Brian explained.

Stewie raised his eyebrows. "Oh, I see."

"You do?"

"Yes, you are running away." Stewie rolled his eyes. "How typical."

"What? No, I'm not!" Brian said angrily. "I just don't want to see them, is all."

"Yes… Yes…" Stewie mocked. "So if you have a reason for running away, I suppose it doesn't really count as 'running away'"

"Okay, I'm running away." Brian said impatiently. "So?"

"So, you are a coward, that's what you are." Stewie answered. "Oh, but we already knew that, now, didn't we?" Stewie sighed and shook his head.

"I see what you're trying to do, Stewie. It won't work."

"I can kill them for you, if you want." Stewie suggested.

"That's not what I want at all!" Brian cried out.

"Oh, too bad." Stewie smiled diabolically. "I guess you will not be too happy when I _do_ kill them on Thanksgiving and you will not be here to stop me."

"Wh… What?" Brian choked.

"That's right, Brian." Stewie whispered. "People who make my dog so upset don't deserve to live."

"Stewie, please…" Brian begged.

"I'm sorry, Brian." Stewie said with a serious face. Then he laughed. "I'm not really sorry, no. It will be fun. It's been ages since I've killed anyone."

At that, Stewie left his room, leaving Brian with his mouth hanging open.

_I guess I'm staying… _Brian thought miserably.


	14. Chapter 14

_I just had to write another chapter before I leave tomorrow for another week. Hope you enjoy!_

_I do not own Family Guy._

* * *

**Chapter 14**

September 1st was getting near. Summer vacation will be over, Jessica will be in the second grade, Neil in pre-school, and Brian will stay home. During the summer, the family traveled in an RV to the west coust. They visited all sorts of national parks in Colorado, Utah, California, and Nevada. Rob said that the best way to know your country is through your feet. Of course, the part Neil, Jessica and Brian enjoyed the most was their visit to Disneyland. Brian enjoyed it even though he didn't yet get to see any of the Disney movies. When they got home, Rachel took out all the Disney video tapes they had, and the family watched the movies any chance they got.

Brian was growing fast, much faster than Jessica or Neil. There was a wall in the house on which Rachel measured her children's heights every month. Brian was added to the wall, and he was very proud at the speed he was growing.

Jessica had a lot of books and comics which Brian took an interest in. He looked at the pictures, because he didn't know how to read. Jessica noticed this and decided to teach her dog how to read, but since she herself only learned that skill less than a year ago and wasn't very good at it herself, Rob took over the job. He taught Brian how to read and write, and soon Brian was able to read Jessica's books as well at looking at the pictures.

His favorite comic book was _The Adventures of Tintin_. He came across that series when Jessica showed it to him, pointing out that Snowy looked like Brian. When Jessica saw how happy Brian was when he saw a dog that looked like him in a comic book, she started showing him all sorts of other white fictional dogs. On television, for example, there was Snoopy from _Peanuts_, and Mr. Peabody from _The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show_.

Brian had a lot of time to spend with his family over the summer, but soon he will be left alone at home most of the time. He planned on reading a lot of books and watching television. He asked Rachel if he could go to school as well, but she said it wasn't possible. When Brian asked why, she didn't answer.

Brian was sitting on the sofa, reading a book by Dr. Seuss. "Hey Brian!" Jessica arrived in the living room.

Brian glanced up for a second. "Hi". Jessica jumped on the sofa and settled herself next to him. "What are you reading?" She asked.

Brian showed her the book cover, _The Butter Battle Book_. It was a book he read more than once.

"Why are you reading all the time?" Jessica asked him.

"I don't know…" Brian answered. "I want to go to school, too. But I can't, so I'm reading."

"You can't? Why?" Jessica wondered.

"I don't know that either." Brian said sadly.

"Well, who told you that?!" Jessica asked angrily.

"Mom…"

"Oh." Jessica said. "I'll ask her why, maybe I could convince her." At that, she got off the sofa and went on looking for her mother.

Rachel was folding laundry in the basement. Jessica climbed down the stairs so she could talk to her.

"Mom?"

"What is it, honey?" Rachel smiled at her daughter.

"When I go to school next week, can Brian come with me?" Jessica asked.

Rachel didn't smile anymore. "How come?"

"He wants to go to school, and you said that he couldn't. Maybe he can come with me, then." Jessica explained.

"I don't think that's such a good idea." Rachel said and continued to fold the laundry.

"Why not?" Jessica asked angrily.

"Because," Rachel said, her tone stiff. "School isn't a place for dogs."


	15. Chapter 15

_Two more weeks of boot camp! Next weekend I will not be coming home, I have to stay and guard at the army base, so I will not be able to uptade until the 17th (which is my birthday, by the way!)_

_Happy new year, by the way! Enjoy!_

_I do not own Family Guy_

* * *

**Chapter 15**

Rachel, Rob and the kids were already on the plane to Providence. Brian was sitting nervously on the sofa, drinking his second glass of Jack Daniels. Of course, on account of Stewie's threats, he didn't leave. Lois asked him why, and Brian explained that he changed his mind.

Lois was cooking the Thanksgiving dinner, Peter was sleeping, Meg and Chris were outside, getting the yard ready for the guests, and Stewie was in his room, doing God knows what.

Brian was paranoid over Stewie's threats. Is he really going to try and kill Brian's former family? If it was anybody else, Brian wouldn't have worried, but Stewie could most definitely pull it off.

Brian got off the sofa and headed upstairs to Stewie's room. When he opened the door, he discovered Stewie cleaning an M16.

"What the hell are you doing?" Brian yelled.

"Spring cleaning."

"It's November."

"Autumn cleaning doesn't sound very catchy, now, does it?" Stewie smiled.

"Stewie… Please." Brian sighed. "I'm here, okay? I'm not going anywhere. Just… promise me you won't pull this kind of crap today."

Stewie was now jamming bullets one by one into a cartridge. "We'll see…"

"Give me that!" Brian grabbed the cartridge angrily out of Stewie's hands. Stewie just took out another one out of his to box. Brian sighed, threw the loaded cartridge on the floor and left the room.

"Oh, yes. That's great!" Lois was talking on the phone when Brian went back downstairs. "So we'll see you soon. Goodbye!"

She hanged up the phone and smiled at Brian. "Their plane just landed. They will put their luggage in the hotel and then head over here."

"Oh…" Brian forced a smile. "That's… that's great." Great was the last thing he could call the situation.

* * *

Sorry for the short chapter! I promise things will progress in the next Griffin inculded chapter.

By the way, I was happy to include the M16, because I am familiar with this weapon and all of it's parts (thanks to the boot camp). I even got to shoot it, wasn't fun at all. The fun thing was learning Krav-Maga with the M16.

Okay then, see you in two weeks! Have a great 2014!


	16. Chapter 16

_So I finished the boot camp, tomorrow I'm starting the course of network administration, and afterwards I will start my job in the army. By the way, my 19th birthday was yesterday, and the last episode of Family Guy was very good. So far 2014 is fun._

_I do not own Family Guy._

* * *

**Chapter 16**

After the conversation with her mother, Jessica left the basement, disappointed. She headed back to the living room and rejoined Brian on the sofa, turning on the TV, not saying a word.

"So…?" Brian put his book aside. "What did she say?"

"W…what?" Jessica asked, pretending she didn't understand what Brian was talking about.

"You know… about me going to school?"

"Oh!" Jessica said uncomfortably, turning up the volume. "She doesn't think it's a good idea."

"Why not?"

"I don't know!" Jessica answered a bit angrily.

"Okay then, never mind." Brian said and turned his attention back to the book, a little offended. What was that all about?

Jessica noticed the look on Brian's face. She didn't mean to offend him, but what could she possibly say? She could never repeat to Brian the unfinished conversation she had with her mom.

Evening came, and bedtime soon after. Brian slept on Neil's bed, and Jessica lay awake, because she couldn't fall asleep. She got off the bed and came in her parent's bedroom, where her mother sat on the bed reading a book.

"Hey Jess, what is it, honey?" Rachel noticed her daughter, put down her book and smiled. Jessica climbed on the bed and sat next to her mother.

"I couldn't sleep."

"Is something bothering you?" Rachel asked, concerned.

"Not really…" Jessica answered slowly, thinking about her mother's question.

"What were you thinking about?"

"Nothing", which was true. She was just going over her day, nothing special.

"Alright, then," Rachel put an arm over Jessica's shoulder, and continued reading her book.

Jessica suddenly came across the thing that was bothering her. "I still don't understand why Brian can't go to school."

Rachel put down her book again, "I told you", she said patiently, "dogs don't go to school."

"Why not?"

Rachel sighed. "I don't know why not," she said, even though she did know. "That's just the way things are."

"But why?" Jessica insisted.

"Jessica, look" Rachel turned and faced her daughter, looking her in the eyes. "Schools were made by people for their children. Brian is not a person, and the schools weren't made for him." Rachel paused, waiting for a response from her daughter, but Jessica didn't say anything.

"Brian is just a dog," Rachel continued. "You did notice that he looks nothing like us, did you?"

"That's not true!" Jessica suddenly called out happily. She remembered the lessons she learned at the end of every TV show or children's book. "We have a nose, mouth, ears, eyes, legs, hands, and… you know, all that other stuff, and so does Brian."

"True…" Rachel continued. "But still, we are humans and he's an animal."

"So?" Jessica asked.

"So… Jessica, you've got to understand something about this world sooner or later. It is run by humans, people control everything. Have you ever seen a cat or a horse working a cash register at Walmart? No, because Walmart belongs to people, and people work there and also shop there. Have you ever seen a person living in an ant farm? No, because people don't belong there, ants do, and everybody has a place where they belong."

"But… Brian lives with us." Jessica pointed out.

"True, but he's our pet."

Jessica's eyes widened a bit. "Oh." She whispered, suddenly realizing something she didn't realize before. Brian wasn't family, he wasn't her brother.

"Do you understand now?"

"I guess so…" Jessica mumbled.

"So why don't you go back to bed? It's very late." Rachel kissed Jessica on her forehead and wished her good night. Jessica headed back to her bedroom, climbed into her bed and fell asleep.


End file.
